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LadyAngelika -> RE: Algolagnia (3/13/2005 10:48:53 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: MrThorns
quote:
ORIGINAL: LadyAngelika
Algolagnia is the paraphilia of deriving sexual pleasure from pain. Note that algolagnia is not the same thing as masochism, since there are fewer psychological connotations to algolagnia, which may be a simple liking for pain, without any need for domination, submission or humiliation.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algolagnia
I don't really see how this is different from masochism. I understand that within a consentual BDSM relationship a level of D/s is present when a masochist receives pain from a sadist. A masochist enjoys receiving pain, just as a algolaganist(?) enjoys receiving pain....or at least, as far as I can tell from the definitions provided.
Actually, I did a bit more research because I'm curious that way and I found this other definition:
Algolagnia: Form of sexual perversion in which the infliction or the experiencing of pain increases the pleasure of the sexual act or causes sexual pleasure independent of the act; includes both sadism (active algolagnia) and masochism (passive algolagnia).
Source: http://www.books.md/A/dic/algolagnia.php
Seems that not even the experts agree on what it is exactly.
I tend to agree with you that there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference. When the original definition said that there were “fewer psychological connotations”, I was wondering how much fewer and where would the line be drawn.
But then I know of people who get off on pain. And I know people who don’t get off on pain but will get off on the idea of receiving any treatment from someone who is dominating them, whether it involves pain or not. One of my boys once told me that he didn’t like the painful feeling from a caning but the feeling he got receiving a caning from me was what one that made him feel safe and complete.
I wouldn’t say that’s the kind of feeling I get when I get a caning. I get off on the painful feeling completely. I wouldn’t let just anyone do it and my preferred sadistic bastard of choice is actually a man I have a whole lot of love for outside of the realm of kink. But when we play these little games, I most appreciate him for the pain he can give me.
So the purpose of my post was simply to try and tease these issues apart and see if the desires came from a different place. I figure we’ve dissected just about every other behaviour here, why not this one ;)
quote:
ORIGINAL: MrThorns
I think that within our little circle of BDSMers, we have made alterations on some of the definitions that are considered standard by the rest of the world. When I hear masochist, I automatically assume it to mean one who enjoys consentually agreed upon pain/intensity/discomfort. Webster's sees it a bit differently. Many psychology books have (in the past anyway) defined masochism as a psychological disorder.
We do appropriate terms and I think that is great. So many times I hear from people on the outside "if those freaks want to beat each other and they like it, then good for them" which can be seen as a live and let live statement tinted with judgement. It's all water off a duck's back to us as we've appropriated the words pervert, freak, twisted, bitch and many others and made them good things to be.
As for anything that we do being a psychological disorder, why not. Psychologists and psychiatrists are always revising their diagnostics based on what becomes socially accepted. A disorder is simply something that goes against the hegemonous discourse, nothing more. The reality is that every single individual is driven based on their prior experiences and predispositions, whether their behaviour is considered disorderly or not.
quote:
ORIGINAL: MrThorns
Maybe we need a BDSM dictionary? (But that would mean assigning labels and such...and man, I hate that.)
There are a few. My personal favorite is The Deviant's Dictionary And believe it or not, I didn't bother looking up how they defined algolagnia... this is interesting.
Algolagnia: Love of pain, from the Greek. Psychological term to describe SM preferred by sexologist Havelock Ellis, who saw it as 'pain given in love'. Perhaps useful to describe that element of SM that is about the enjoyment of pain itself rather than acting out domination and submission. Ellis's definition is quoted in the Boundaries section of the Dynamics and Definitions Sourcsheet; see also sadomasochism.
Source: http://public.diversity.org.uk/deviant/bodya-d.htm#Algolagnia
The bolded passage is my own, which I guess to a certain point answers my original question. But then again, that is just another opinion. I do however strongly suggest the reading in the Boundaries section as it's a pretty interesting read.
- LA
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